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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

S S. WHEELER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

No. 273,208. Patented Feb.27, 1883.

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WlTNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. S. WHEELER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR. No. 273,208. Patented Fe b.27, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrroe.

SOHUYLER S. 'WHEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. 7

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,208, dated February 27, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SCHUYLER S. \VHEELER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

In electric elevating apparatus, where matter is raised and lowered either vertically or at any angle of inclination, the gravitatiug power or force of the descending load, car, or mass has not been utilized and applied as part of the power required to perform the work being done; or the amount of power developed by the descent of the mass has not been applied to reduce the sum of the power received from the source of energy. Under my invention the power developed by the descending mass is utilized to reduce the sum ofthe power that would otherwise be requiredto do the work; or the amount of power used from the sourceof energy will be the sum of the power required to do the work (which power may be received from the source of energy) less the power developed by the descending mass, which may be returned to the source of energy, less, of course, the usual frictional losses. Under my organization, normally, the power of the motor is just sufficient to counteract the gravity of the parts of the apparatus, so that the apparatus remains at rest in whatever po sition it may be, and when the work to be done is increased or a greater mass or strain is thrown upon the motor the power ofthe motor is automatically proportionately increased, so that it still just sustains the parts of the apparatus, which remains at rest. When the work is to be performed, however, or the mass elevated, the power of the motor is further increased, as will hereinafter be described; or where the mass is to be lowered the power is decreased, so that the motor permits it to descend.

My invention consists in the novel methods of operation above outlined, and in certain novel apparatus for carrying it out; also, in certain improvements relating to the raising and lowering of the mass, the method of controlling, stopping, and starting the apparatus, and in certain other improvements, all of which are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 I and 6 are diagrammatic sectional elevations, showing the manner of carrying out my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and i are detail views, showing the construction of one form of my improved controlling-switch; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the brake mechanism.

In the drawings I have shown my invention organized in connection with a vertical elevator raised and lowered in an upright guidewar; but by the term elevator I wish to be understood as meaning any apparatus by which matter is transferred from one level to another.

In Figs. 1 and 6 the elevator-cage A, which travels in a suitable guide or frame, is suspended by a cable, a, from a drum or shaft, 5, connected by suitable gearing. B, with the revolving armattire-carrying shaft 0 of a suitable electro-dynamic motor, 0. This motor is connected with the poles of an electric generator, which may be placed at any desired distance. In thedrawings l have considered the motor as connected in multiple are in a system of electric distribution, in which a meter, D, is employed to keep an account of the electricity consumed by the user, as is well understood. The wires leading to the multiple-arc connection with the generator-circuits are marked 00 and y in the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. 1, which shows an organization differing in detail merely from that indicated in Fig. 6, the current from the source of electric energy comes in by the wire 00 past the meter D, which keeps a register or charge of the amount of current thus received. The meter, which is merely indicated in the drawings, is of the now well-known Edison type, and needs no special description. However, so far as my invention is concerned, other forms of meter may be used. The current passes from the meter 1) to the contact-stop :v, and then'through the tongue f, (assuming at this time that the tongue is drawn over againstits contact 00 by its tension-spriug,) thence to the contact g. and through the vibrating tongue h and wire 1' to a pivoted moving switch-arm, 7;, from this arm to one of a series of contacts, l, through one or more of the resistance-coils Ia and wire on to the tongue 02 on the brakelever N, contact-stop a, wire 0, through the coils of the electromotor, and by wire y to the other pole of the source of electric energy. A branch or m ultiple-arc circuit of comparatively high resistance, in which the coils of the brakemagnets N areincluded,is thrown around the switch K and motor 0. This circuitbranches from the main line i at the point a, passes through a. suitable switch, '0, on the car or cage of the elevator, then by wire '0 through the coils of the brake-magnetsN,and by wire '0 back to the main line y. With the switch a closed,so as to complete this branch circuit, as indicatedin the drawings, a current ofelectricity will always pass through the brake-magnets N of sutiicient strength to hold the brakelever N up against the force of its spring N? and maintain the continuity of the main circuit between thecontactsnn,above mentioned.

The brake mechanism is illustrated particularly in-Fig. 5, where itis shown as consisting of an elastic metal band or flat bar, N, which is bentpart way around the shaft 0 o't'thc motor. Its elongated end or arm constitutes the armature for the magnets N. Normally the brake is drawn down by its spring N so as to cause it to grip the shaft and stop the motor. When the branch circuit, however, is completed, the magnets I 'draw up the brake-arm N against the force of its spring and release thcgrip ot' the brake upon the motor-shaft, The special form of brake, however, is immaterial so long as it fulfills the requirements of the organization. With this branch circuit completed, therefore, as above described, the brake will be taken oii the motor-shaft, the main-line circuit will becompleted between the contacts a n, and the apparatus will be free to operate. Under these conditions it will be obvious that a current of electricity, coming in over the line it, as above described, and passing through the switch K and the coils of the motor, will actuate the motor, causing its shaft 0 to revolve and, through the gearing B, wind the cable a on the hoisting-drum and elevate the cage.

I will now describe the manner ot'con trolling the action of the elevator and of automatically adjusting the power of the motor to balance any weight that may be put on the cage. The switch K (illustrated in this figure) consists of a. base or quadrant, K, around the edge of which are placed a. series of contacts, l, electrio-all y connected by a series of resistancecoils, L, the contact and end of the coil at one side of the quadrant being electrically connected with the main-line wire m. The moving switch-arm 7s vibrates upon the center, from which the quadrant is struck, and j is actuated in the following manner: A looped bar, Q,throngh which the lifting-cableapasses, is provided with a pulley, q, against which the cable works. The opposite end of the bar Q, is connected by a coil-spring with an eye-rod, g, which passes through a stud, and can be adjusted by a nut, as shown in the drawings, to draw the pulley q against the lifting-cable and strain the cable out of a right line, as indicated in the drawings. A cross'piu, (1 on the rod Q, is straddled by the forked end of the switch-arm It, so that any endwise motion of the rod Q will rock the switch-arm on its pivot and cause it to pass over the face of the quadrant and make contact with the series of contact-points l. Of course the parts should be so proportioned that the arm 7.: will not leave one contact l until it has made contact with the adjoining one, so that the circuit will not be broken. Vith this organization it will be obvious that an increased strain on the cable a, which will of course be I)10l')0l'l0l1ll to the weight put in the car, will swing the switcharm upon its pivot, and, cutting out one or current to pass, and will correspondingly iiicrease the power of the motor, so that it will just sustain the car. In order, now, to further increase the power of the motor to elevate the car, the quadrant-base K of the switch is also pi voted upon the same center as the arm is, and is provided with a pulley overwhich an endless pull-rope 9" passes. This rope runs over suitable p ulleys and through apertures in the eleva- The operator in the cage, by pulling upon this rope, can swing the quadrant K on its pivot, so as to throw in or out a greater or less resistance.

It the car is to ascend with a load, the quadrant may be swung by means of the pull-rope to cut out some of the resistance in the circuit, and increase the supply of current to the motor until the desired speed of ascent is attained. hen the car has risen to the desired point the power of the motor can in like manner be reduced so as just to balance course remain stationary. When the car is descending the operator manipulates the rope 1' to throw in an increased resistance until the motor becomes too weak to sustain the car, when it will commence to descend. The descent of the car drives the motor-shaft!) in the opposite direction and transforms it into a dynamo-electric machine or generator of electricity, and ,I utili ze the current thus generated for the purpose outlined at the beginning of this specification.

The action of the motor and the manner of controlling the descent of the cage are hereinafter described. I will also defer the description of that part of my system relating to the utilization of the current generated by the descent of the cage until I have further described my organization of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6.

In Fig. 6 the general arrangement of the parts indicated by similar letters is the same as that just described in connection with Fig. 1, except the difference in the construction of the switch and the ,manner of increasing and decreasing the power of the motor. In this figure the base K of the switch is provided with a series of contacts, I, to which are connected a series of wires, 3, which are wound together, or multiply, around the stationary magnets of the motor, as clearly indicated in the drawings. The switch-arm 76 is shown as a rocking quadrant, and is connected up in more of the resistances L, will permit. a greater tor-cage, after the ordinary manner in elevators.

the weight of the load, when 'the car will of circuit and operated in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1. The base K of the switch is also operated by a pull-rope passing through the elevator-cage, as just described. The brake-magnets are connected upin branch circuit in the same manner as in Fi 1, as will appear on tracing the circuit by means of the letters 2; c 12 The strain of the cable a upon the rod Q operates to swing the switch-arm 7c and throw in a greater or less number of circuits s, which pass around the magnets of the motor, and thus increase or decrease the power of the motor, according to the weight in the cage, to which the strain of the cable is of course proportional.

ln.1 ig.2 the contacts tare carried by short bolts, which may be moved in a slot, Z in the base of the switch, and clamped at anydesired point by means of set-nuts. By this means the contacts-of which there may be any suitable number, and of which there may be more than are indicated in the drawings-may be adjusted toward or from eachother. Another arrangement for accomplishing theadjustment of the contacts is shown in Fig. 4, where the contacts Z form the ends of pivoted levers,

which may be adjusted by thumb-screws Z". These details, however, may of course be varied, the broad principle of the invention being in no -way dependent upon them. The purpose of having the contacts movable is that by experimentally adjusting them the apparatus may be brought to just the condition desired withoutdifficulty. The adjustmentot' the rod Q serves a similar purpose, and both means may be used together. A like adj ustment of the contacts 1 may be provided in the organization shown in Fig. 1. Under the organization shown in this figure, (S, the too rapid descent of the caris prevented by manipulating the pull-rope and causing a greater current to pass through the stationary magnets ot' the motor, so that its speed of descent, as well as ascent, can be perfectly controlled.

I have illustrated two ways of the same nature of utilizing the electricity generated in the motor 0 by the descent of the cage, which drives it in an oppositedirection and changes it into a dynamic generator of electricity. In Fig. 1 I have shown what I consider the most efl'ectual and practical manner of utilizing the electric energy thus developed. In this organization'l make use of a storage system in the following manner: The cage of the elevator is represented as ascending and the rope a being wound upon the drum B. A beveled gear, t, on the end of the drum-shalt gears with a corresponding bevel on a counter-shaft, t. This shaft carries a section of norm, t which controls the elongated spring end h of the vibrating tongue It. With the elevator ascending and the gearing moving in the direction indicated by the arrows this worth opcrates to press the spring-extension It over to the left and cause the tongue h to rest against the contact-point g.

With the parts of the apparatus in the positions shown, the power for driving the electric motor is derived from a storage system indicated in the drawings. It is therefore assumed that the storage system has been previously charged by a descent of the elevator cage and is now working the motor. One pole of the storage system is connected to the wire y, leading from the source of electric energy, while the circuit from the opposite pole passes through a wire, a, coil of a magnet, a, wire a and then branches, one branch leading to the contact-stop w and the other to the contact-stop z. The tonguefis drawn over by the magnet a, so as to break contact with the main-line stop an and make contact with the stop to, so that with the tongue h thrown over against the stop 9 the circuit will be com pleted from the storage system through the wire 1on stop to, tongue f, and so on to the motor, wire y, and opposite pole of, the storage system, as described in connection with the running of the main-line circuit. The bias or tension of the tongue fis such that whenever the power of the electricity from the storage system is iusufficient to work the elevator the tongue f will go over against its contact 00, and the current will then be taken from the main line over the meter D. As long, however, as the currentis sufficient the parts will remain in the position indicated in the drawings, and the electricity troin the storage system which has been charged by the descent of the cage will work the elevator, and no electricity will be received over the main line, and the meter will therefore not register. When the elevator is descending the motion of the worm 2& will be reversed, and the tongue It will be thrown over against its contact 2, so that the electricity which is now generated by the reverse motion of the motor will pass by the wire i, tongue It, contact 2, 850., into the storage system. The eflect of the current in the coil of the magnet to is to draw the tongue f against the contact 10, thus breaking the mainline circuit and placing the parts in condition tor the motor to be operated by the electricity from the storage system on the next lift. The

contacts 2 and g are such that the tongue It will not leave one until contact is made with the other; otherwisethe circuit would be broken when the worm reversed the tongue It, and the tonguef would go over against its contact 00, and might not be broughtback by the magnetic. By this organization of circuit and apparatus I am enabled to utilize the electricenergy generated by the descent of the mass, and when the supply of the electricity thus generated is not sutficient to do the work the main-line current is automatically thrown in. Of course, where the elevator is carrying unequal loads, an adjustment of the tongue f which would cause it to fall over againstthe contact 00 when the power fell below a certain limit would, perhaps, not be sufficient to insure the operation of the apparatus in all cases, for a load too great to be lifted might be taken on and delay would be caused. A supplementary pull- 4 v erases rope extending from the vibrating tonguefl 1n the organization indicated in Fig. 6 I

through the elevator-cage, as shown in dotted lines, could be so arranged that the tongue could be thrown over positively against the contact 00 whenever desired, and the current for actuating the motor be taken from the main line past the meter. The descent of the cage under this organization is controlled in the following manner: In dynamo-electric machines the decrease of resistance in the circuit of the machine gives a greater capacity to the machine and calls for an increased power to drive it. \Vhen the cageis descending the motoris driven as a dynamo, and the currentthus gencrated is passed into the storage system and the main-line connectionisbrokenator. There is no current, therefore, from the main line which can he controlled to counteract and overcome the reverse action of the motor and regulate the descent of the cage; but the operator in the cage, by working the rope 1', may cutout several or all of the resistances L, and thus give the dynamo such a capacity that the force of the descent of the cage is not sufficient to overcome it. i'ore be perfectly controlled.

in both organizations shown in Figs. 1 and 6, when the apparatus is not working the switch a in the cage is moved so as to interrupt the brake-circuit and permit the lever N, acting by the force of its spring, to grip the motor-shaft and look all the parts firmly. The movement of the brake-lever N interrupts the main-line circuit at n n and takes the power off the motor. When the'switcli o is closed and the apparatus is working or ready for working, there must at all times be a current through the brake-circuit in the same direction to constantly hold up the brake-lever and always maintain thecontinuity of the main circuit at the points it a, whether the car is ascending or descending, and whether the current, in ascending, is taken from the storage system or from the line 00. This I accomplish by placing the brake-magnets in a. branch circuit around the motoror dynamo U. The cur rent from either the storage system or line 00, when the car is ascending, will pass to the motor, as before described, and of course the current in the branch or brake circuit will be in the same direction, or that indicated by the solid arrow. There will be no failure in this current, as the circuit is never broken at the contacts 29. When the car is descending and the'armature of the motor is driven in an opposite direction from that in which it rotated as a motor, and the machine becomes an electric generator, the current generated of course runs in an opposite direction to the current which drove the motor. The branch or brake circuit still, therefore, takes its current at the point a, and it is still in the direction of the arrow. There is therefore never any interruption of the current in this circuit, and the brakelever is not released unless the switch a is moved. The operation is the same under the arrangement shown in Fi 6.

The descent may therev purpose driving the current of electricity generated by the descent of the cage back to the source of supply. The efi'ect of this will be to cause the meter to register in the opposite direction, or,in other words,to make it deduct from its account of electricity used the amount of the electricity thus sent back. The effect of thus forcing back a current of electricity upon a system of distribution in which the consumers are connected up in multiple arc as, for instance, in the Edison electric-light system-will not be a disturbing one, for the reason that the dynamos or generators of electricity at the central station of such a system are automatically governed to regulate the supply of electricity to the demand within certain limits, and to maintain a uniform volume in the working circuits, so that it' the effect. of forcing the current derived from the descent of the mass back to the dynamo or generator at the central station is to increase the sum of the current in the distiibuting-lines, the generator atthe central station would compensate for this increase by producing less electricity; or if the effect is to overcome or counteract the electro-motive force of the electricity in the multiple circuit in which the elevating 5 apparatus is connected the generator at the central station will automatically compensate for such a condition, and there would be no disturbances on the lines.

\Vhile the two methods which I have described of utilizing the current generated by the descentof the mass differ in some respects, they are. broadly considered, substantially the same. The generation of available energy or the creation of chemical potential in astorage I05 system represents the performance of a certain amount of work and the expenditure of a certain amount of energy which is applied to the reduction of the sum of the power that would be otherwise required from the distrib- 1 to uting system to run the elevator, and forcing the current back into the distributing system and causing the meter to register in a reverse direction isalso an expenditureot' energy which acts to reduce the sum of the power actually received from the source of energy to perform the work to be done, and, making allowance for ditt'erencesin apparatus, the amount ot'electricity indicated by the meter as having been used in the two organizations illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6 should be the same, assuming that the same weight has been raised and lowered.

I have now fully described my invention, and as the various points are specifically set forth and claimed hereinafter, a further recapitulation is deemed unnecessary.

It should be distinctly understood that, so far as the leading features of my invention are concerned, the apparatus show u and described maybe varied and modified without departing from the invention, the primary features of which are exhibited by the operations performed and the results accomplished, rather than by the special organizations of apparatus. although much of such apparatus is novel, and is herein claimed.

The right to hereafter file other applications for; any subject-matter that may have been claimed and the claims erased in the prosecution of this application, or for any subjectmatter herein described, illustrated, or indicated, but not claimed, is distinctly reserved.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as set forth, ofthe main-line or generator circuit, an electric motor placed therein, a car, cage, or vehicle which is hoisted by the motor when the motoris driven in one direction, but which in descending drives the motor in the opposite direction, thus changing it into an electric generator, and mechanism under the control of the attendant in the car for increasing or decreasing the electric capacity of the motor-circuit, so as to thereby increase or decrease the resistance of the motor to being thus driven by the. descending car, whereby the speed of descent of the car may be regulated, as described.

2. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle for raising and lowering matter, mechanism tor automatically increasing or decreasing the power of the motor in proportion to the weight placed upon the car for the purpose set forth, and mechanism to further increase or decrease the power of the motor, at the will of the operator, to raise or lower the car.

3. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle to be raised or lowered by the motor, the switch having the moving base and moving switch-arm, means for automatically moving the switch-arm to vary the power of the motor, as set forth, to automatically increase or decrease the power of the motor proportionately to the weight thrown upon the car, and means under the control of the operator for moving the base of creasing or decreasing the power of the motor to raise or lower the car.

5. The combination of an electric circuit and the two-part switch, each part of which is independently movable, a series of contacts on one part of the switch, over which the other part of the switch moves, and means for increasing or decreasing the capacity of the electric circuit in response to the movement of either part of the switch.

6. The two-part switch. consisting of the pivoted moving base carrying a series of contacts, and mechanism for adjusting them'toward or from each other, and the pivoted moving switch-arm.

7. The combination of the main-line or generator circuit. the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle which is raised by the motor, mechanism for varying and controlling the power of the motor to elevate. the car or permit it to descend. and an electric circuit and apparatus for receiving the electric current generated by the reversal of the motor when it is driven by the descending car, and subsequently applying it to reduce the sum of the power that would otherwise be required to perform the work.

8. The combination of the main-line or generator circuit, the electric motor placed therein, a car, cage, or vehicle which is raised by the motor, and which in its descent reverses the motor, brake apparatus, and a branch'circuit thrown around the motor, in which circuit the coils of the brake-controlling magnets are placed, for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle to be raised and lowered by the motor, mechanism for varying the power of the motor to raise or lower the car, an electric circuit or apparatus for receiving the electric current generated by the reversal of the motor when it is driven by the descending car, and brake apparatus, the controlling-magnets of which are placed in a branch circuit thrown around the motor or generator.

10. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle to be raised and lowered by the motor, mechanism for controlling the power of the motor to raise the car or permit it to descend, a storage system and its circuit running through the motor, contacts and means for operating them, which complete the circuit from the motor or generator to the storage system when the car is descending, circuit-connections by which the electric energy thus created is used to partly elevate the car on the next lift, and means for breaking the storagesystem circuit and completing the main-line circuit through the motor when the capacity of the current t'rom the storage system falls below the power required to elevate the car.

11. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car, cage, or vehicle to be raised and lowered by the motor, mechanism for controlling the power ot the motor to raise the car or permit. it to descend, a storage system and its circuit running through the motor, contacts and means for operating them, which complete the circuit from the motor or generator to the storage system when the car is descending, circuit-connections by which theelectric energy thus created is used to partly elevate the car on the next lift, means for breaking the storage-system circuit and completing the mainline circuit through the motor when the capacity of the current from the storage system falls below the power required to elevate the car, and a branch circuit in which the brakecontrollicg magnets are placed, thrown around the motor, for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car and cable, the hoisting-drum driven by the motor, mechanism for controlling the power of the motor, and the bar or rod Q, on which the strain of the cable is exerted, which operates the controlling mechanism and automatically increases or decreases the power of the motor proportionately to the strain upon 20 the cable.

13. The combination of the main-line or generator wires, the electric motor placed therein, the car and cable, the hoisting-drum driven by the motor, mechanism for controlling the power of the motor, the bar or red Q, on which the strain of the cable is exerted, which operates the controlling mechanism and automatically increases or decreases the power of the motor proportionately to the strain upon the cable, and means for adjusting the rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

SOHUYLE R S. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

W. L. GANDEE, War. A. SKINKLE. 

